


The Universe and You

by therobinlocksley



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-01-25 19:41:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18581281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therobinlocksley/pseuds/therobinlocksley
Summary: “You were supposed to save her, to prevent this future from ever happening. But instead, after she killed my mother, you fell into the same darkness that she allowed herself to fall into. You became what you were meant to prevent,” he struggles on the last word as he strains against the kryptonite handcuffs.“That symbol on your chest once stood for freedom, equality, justice, and hope. Now it stands for death, oppression, and injustice, perfectly fitting for the fallen last daughter of Krypton.”





	1. In the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! I had the fanfic idea like three days ago and thought why not share it with other people? But, leave me comments! Let me know if you have an ideas on the story. Constructive criticism is appreciated. Also, looking for a beta so, let me know!

It was almost midnight as the soft National City rain landed on the dark windows of the famous L-Corp building.

A deep sigh came from inside the top level of the L-Corp building. A single figure sat at a pristine glass desk, faced with her back against the tall windows with a glass of the hardest alcohol that she could find in her right hand. It was an anniversary but not celebratory like a birthday or a marriage, but a life changing anniversary that had shoved Lena Luthor into complete darkness.

 Lena leaned back in her chair as her grey, dull eyes drifted to the digital clock that sat on her desk. Her eyes squinted shut as the clock turned to midnight April 22, 2044. Fifteen years.

 Fifteen years she had effortlessly tried to find Kara and their daughter. Fifteen years of sleepless nights, drunken stupors, and endless heartache. But fifteen years she refused to give up on her family.

 Lena swallowed thickly as she took another sip from the liquid in her cup, her eyes drifting closed as the glass cup left her lips. The only time she had even found some peace was when she slept, even if nightmares of her wife and daughter haunted, that’s the only place she could picture and see them.

As the rain continued a soft patter down the tall glass windows of L-Corp, Lena allowed sleep to consume her, oblivious to the two soft pats of feet landing on her balcony.

The door opens to Lena’s right and both pairs of feet take cautious steps.

“Mom?” a deep, smooth voice breaks the silence of Lena’s office.

“Mom, we’re here,” another voice says softly, grabbing the now empty glass from her hand and quietly laying it on her desk. “Grab her purse and jacket, I’ll get her,” the second voice whispers to the first.

The tall, broad figure lifts his mother as softly as he can into his chest, laying her head on his shoulder. “Let’s go,” the second voice whispers as he leans against the door and waits for his companion, carefully pushing against it as to not wake his mother up. His companion gently lays Lena’s black coat over her as they walk to the railing in attempt to protect her from the soft rain. Blue eyes meet blue and they nod in agreement, slowly ascending off of L-Corp’s balcony and into the protective darkness the National City sky afforded them.

They both fly slowly and but with just enough speed  to avoid getting drenched in the rain that flew against them.

Lena’s jet black hair softly caressed her face, rousing her slowly from sleep. Lena’s drunken state combined with her deep sleep barely allowed her to open her eyes. All she felt were strong arms holding to her tightly and a warm shoulder that she turned her head further into.

 It was familiar. She had been carried this way thousands of times. It’d be only fitting if it was Kara. It could only be Kara. _But Kara is gone. She’s not here._

 The brunette faintly whimpered, her face contorting into pain and sadness.

 “We’re almost there Mom. I promise,” the deep voice vaguely says, picking up speed as they neared the infamous Luthor mansion.

 A few minutes later, the trio quietly land in front of two large glass doors, alerting Kelex, a flying smart robot originally from Krypton. He flies in front of them, blocking their path towards the glass doors.

“Identification please,” asks Kelex, looking to the man holding Lena.

“Kane Michael Luthor.” Kelex then turns to his companion. “Identification please,” the robot repeats. “Knox James Luthor.” Kelex turns and opens the left glass door. “Welcome home Master Kane and Master Knox.”

The trio entered into the dark, vast mansion, their feet softly thumping on white granite as they being walking passed the black grand piano and living room and up the glass staircase, with Knox following closely behind. They ascend quietly to the second story, the two men solemnly looking at the family portraits of five people that line the dark gray walls.

Knox quietly opens the humongous white doors to their mothers’ room, allowing Kane and their mother to slip through into the soft white carpet. Kane hurriedly walks through the dark and slowly lays Lena onto the white comforter of her bed. He graciously slips off her heels and unwraps her from her dark coat. Kane then picks her back up and quietly eases her underneath the thick white sheets.

“Goodnight Mom,” Kane whispers, his lips pressing a soft kiss to Lena’s forehead. Knox repeats the same action and they both vacate the room, only leaving the soft sound of Lena snoring behind.

“Are you tired? I was probably going to go get changed and head down for something to drink,” Knox calls out to his brother as he is already halfway down the hallway.

“Yeah, I’ll meet you down in a second,” Kane calls over his shoulder as he starts ascending the stairs to the third floor.

 

* * *

 

“Here,” a can a beer appears from behind Knox’s right shoulder. He turns his head and gives a faint smile as a thank you and takes the can.

“Fifteen years Kane. Fifteen years ago tonight and they’re still not back. For all we know, they’re probably dead,” Knox whispers as he cracks his can open and takes a heavy sip.

“Don’t say that. Momma is still out there and so is Laurel. I know it. They wouldn’t just leave us here. Also Mom is still trying her best to locate where they are,” Kane replies, walking from around the back of the crimson couch and settling on the far end.

“Mom just needs to give up and so do you. I understand that Momma was everything and more and on top of that, she lost their first kid but Rao, Momma and Laurel have been gone for literally half our lives and I don’t think they are coming back,” Knox runs a tan hand through his short, blonde mane and adjusts his glasses.

Lightning lights up the dark living room before it’s followed by three sharp rumbles of thunder. “Mom’s heart can’t take anymore of this. You saw her for yourself Kane. She’s like this all the time, you’re just never around to see it.”

“Sorry, I’m trying to save the world half the time while your ass does nothing with the gifts you were given. With Clark leaving for Argo years ago and Momma gone, who is left to protect this world? Me. But at least I actually do something with my powers instead of letting them go to waste.”  Kane angrily crushes his can of beer and sets it on the black wooden coffee table.

Knox scowls and rolls his blue eyes. “I’m not arguing with you, not today. Mom really needs us right now so I might stick around here for a few days. She’d really love it if we would both stay here for a few days. I’ve already got the L-Corp in Metropolis running by itself so I’m good for a few days. What do you say brother?” Knox leans forward and sets his elbows on knees, clasping his hands together. Lighting strikes, illuminating the glare on Kane’s face.

“I’d do anything for Mom, you know that. I’d stay as long as she needed me to,” Kane glares in return.

 “Then it’s settled.”  


* * *

 

_Midnight rendezvous in the top balcony of L-Corp became a natural thing between Supergirl and Lena. Except tonight, something was different as Supergirl flew towards L-Corp. Lena’s heart was slightly faster but was beating heavier than normal, like something was troubling her._

_“You know, sometimes working too much does actually lead to de-“ Supergirl is cut short as she looks at Lena’s black turtleneck clad back in the dark office and sees her shoulders shaking. “Lena, is everything okay?”_

  _“I ca-can’t,” Lena whispers._

_“Can’t what? What’s wrong Lena?” Supergirls asks softly, approaching Lena slowly, her soft raven hair illuminated in the bright moonlight._

  _“I can’t beat him. Lex. I just-I can’t beat him. I am nothing compared to him,” the brunette haired woman whispers barely enough for even a human ear to catch._

_“Lena,” Supergirl whispers quietly and she settles her right hand softly on Lena’s shoulder, silently pleading for Lena to turn around._

_In all the years Kara had known Lena, she had never seen her this defeated. The Daxamite invasion, her mother dying, even Jack dying. Even though Lena had her demons and insecurities, she never let them settle because she refused to allow them time to settle. She never had time._

_But at this point, Lena was consumed in the failure and despair that Lex has cast upon her. And it perplexed Kara, that someone so strong, so intelligent, so beautiful, could crumble to the ground. Someone who allowed Kara to be consumed with such a fierce love with just one look at her. And for Lena to crumble because she thought she was a failure? To believe she was nothing? That angered Kara. It angered her to a point where the idea of crushing Lex under the heel of her boot sounded like the best idea of the century._

_Kara would give anything for Lena to not hurt, to not suffer the years of fear, feeling like a failure, and manipulation that the Luthors had instilled in her beautiful heart and mind. If Kara could bend the rays of the sun and wrap Lena in them, she would._

_Lena turned around, her beautiful emerald eyes now grey and beginning to well with unshed tears. “I’m not strong enough to beat him, at every turn, he’s outsmarted me one way or another every time Supergirl. I’ve had to push away everyone that I am close to to keep them safe, in fear that Lex would do something to hurt them._

_“God, Sam, Ruby, James, and the worst, Kara! What would she think of me now? Just I just can’t beat him,” her eyelids slowly fluttered closed, as her shoulder sunk in defeat._

_“Lena, look at me,” Supergirl says firmly as she removes her hand and brings it to Lena’s soft, smooth cheek. The feeling of Lena’s warm cheek brings and shiver down her spine that she tries to control. “You,” Supergirl begins, lifting Lena’s head,” are anything but nothing. Rao Lena, you are everything. You will be how we defeat Lex. The most I can do is punch him around a couple of times, that’s it. But you, you have something no else has. You have the mind and the courage to step up against your brother and outsmart him in the wittiest of ways and save this world._

_“You, Lena, are everything, never forget that,” Supergirl says sternly as she dares Lena to say anything less of herself back._

_Lena just stares at her with glistening eyes with her mouth slightly opened. Kara then takes notice that Lena’s heart is hammering away in her chest._

_She then takes her left hand and caresses Lena’s other warm cheek. Her thumb softly caresses her cheekbones, causing Lena’s eyes to flutter closed. Supergirl does not miss the way her touch caused the brunette to shiver. Lena then brings her right hand and lays it over Supergirl’s left hand._

_“Never let anyone tell you anything different, especially Lex but most importantly, never tell yourself that. You are more than enough Lee,” Supergirl takes both of her thumbs and rubs soft half circles on Lena’s cheeks._

_At that last sentence, Lena’s emerald eyes shoot open in recognition. This has happened before. Lena can’t remember when but those six words and the soft hand caressing her skin that did things to her body she couldn’t explain. This has happened before. But not with Supergirl, it happened with Kara._

_Kara? It couldn’t possibly be Kara._

_Lena looked up to Supergirl, registering the way her blue eyes carried so much intensity and determination to make Lena hear her. This has happened before but with Kara._

_Kara. The ultimate reason for which Lena had existed for this long. Kara, the ethereal being, that when she walked into a room where Lena was, Lena’s heart skipped not just a beat, but beats. The perfect epitome of what the sun would be if it was a person. It couldn’t be Kara._

_“Lena?” Supergirl interrupts Lena’s thoughts, “did you hear me?” Lena refocuses on the deep, ocean blue of Supergirl-no, Kara’s eyes. “Yes,” Lena barely whispers. “I heard you.”_

_“I heard you K-,” Lena is cut off as Supergirl hurriedly turns her head to the right, her ear facing the window. Lena drops her perfectly manicured hand to her hip as Supergirl does the same with both of her hands._

_“Lena, I have to-,” Supergirl is cut off as Lena is already nodding in understanding. “I’ll try to come back if it isn’t too late okay?”_

_Lena is only left with the sound of crimson red boots hurrying towards the balcony and the soft sweep of the wind._ _The brunette is still standing glued to the spot, ignoring the aching her black heels are causing her feet. She crosses her arms around her middle, her pink lips parted in denial and her emerald eyes contorted into hurt and sadness._ _It’s always been Kara._

_How could Lena not have seen that?_

_The shiver in her spine remains as Lena reimagines the ghost of soft fingers that caressed her cheek less than a minute ago._

 

* * *

 

J’onn sighs as he breaks his concentration from his computer and paperwork.

“Have you checked the weather radars?”

“Yes,” Alex rolls her eyes, scarecrow feet increasing their length at the corner of her dark brown eyes. “Are there any signs of foreign gases or objects in the atmosphere?” J’onn questions again, removing his bifocals and laying them on the glasses table on top of some paperwork.

“No, I checked everything,” Alex annoyedly replies. J’onn sighs as he pushes his chair back and gets up. He slowly walks towards Alex.

“Alex, it’s 2 in the morning, go home and get some sleep,” the Martian tenderly says as he puts a hand on Alex’s leather clad shoulder. “I know what today is and I know it’s hard. But just go home and get some sleep and come back in the morning. I’m sure Maggie is worried about you being here so late anyway. Go home to your wife and child Alex,” J’onn finished sternly.

Alex looks down solemnly. “I really miss them J’onn. I’ve tried to keep the hope and believe they would come back to us but year after year goes by and…” the brunette trails off, releasing a sigh to keep her emotions at bay, disregarding her and J'onn's current no-talking status.

“I miss them too. I believe that if they are still out there, they’re trying their hardest to get back,” J’onn replies softly. “I believe tha-,” J’onn is swiftly cut off by an alarm sounding off through both the hallway and debriefing room. J’onn and Alex both look to each other with hardened looks before turning to head to the control center of the DEO.

As they arrive, Brainy already has an ipad in his hand and is watching the screen aboves. All the screens join to create a large map of National City. But what confuses J’onn and Alex are the random red dots that are scattered around the city. “Brainy, what are we dealing with?” Alex questions, her voice and body switching into director mode. Brainy turns to Alex and J’onn, clicking away on the iPad in his hand.

“Apparently, there a significant amount of temporal anomalies that randomly appear then disappear around National City. There’s especially a significantly large one that is centered in the west quadrant of the city. I have yet to find a cause, but it appears nothing has breached through them yet.”

“Well, let’s hope they stay that way. Brainy, send out a dispatch message to teams alpha, bravo, charlie, and delta and call James, I want someone out there with me that I can fully trust,” Alex orders. J’onn scowls at Alex’s last sentence.

“Yes ma’am,” Brainy awkwardly squeaks, already exiting away from the tension between Alex and Hank.

“Alex, go home. I can deal with this,” J’onn angrily turns in front Alex, blocking her from leaving. “J’onn, I appreciate. I really do. But it’s a coincidence that this is happening on this exact day. Something is going on, I feel it in my gut,” Alex passionately prods to finger to her stomach, emphasizing her point.

“I’m going,” the brunette director says, walking around J’onn and hurriedly down the busy corridor. As Alex hurriedly makes her way to the armory, the comm in her ear buzzes and Alex quickly double taps it.

“Alex, I’m on my way to the DEO. What’s going on? Brainy called and told me to get there ASAP,” James’s deep, voice rings into Alex’s right ear.

“I think it could be Kara.”


	2. Too Much To Lose,  Too Much To Protect

"The only thing protecting me from this rain, is my armor," James carefully wipes the eye slits on his guardian helmet. "Two hours later and you'd think it would stop. Has Brainy found out the reason why rain started pouring from them or just why there are giant black holes looming over us at four o'clock in the morning?"

James turns briefly to Alex, whose drenched grey-streaked hair has been slicked back behind her ears. It had been two hours since the DEO monitors went off with breach alerts in National City. Two hours that four DEO squadrons in addition to Alex and James had stood under the largest "black hole" in the city.

"As of right now, Superman and Brainy are collecting rain samples and any other information and data they can from the hole."

The two look up slowly to the dark, black sky, both of their brown eyes squinting to look at the blurry image of two figures floating close to the edge of the black hole. Around them, DEO agents slowly swarm, keeping civilians and reporters alike outside of the yellow-taped border, the only light coming from the flashing blue and red of parked police cars and tall street lights. 

"Speaking of Superman, have you talked to either of the boys on how Lena's doing?" Guardian lowers his voice only for Alex to hear.

"Not yet, I didn't even know Knox was here from Metropolis. I honestly thought he wouldn't come back for today after what happened last year." Alex crosses her arms over her chest and she strains her neck to the left and the right, face hardened at the thought of the significance of the day that slowly approached as she stared endlessly at the black hole.

James sighed as he watched Alex tighten and un-tighten her jaw in frustration. Wet, gloved hands moved to his helmet and he carefully took it off, adjusting it perfectly under his arm. The years had slowly started to take its toll on James. Once young, brown eyes now had crow's feet peeking from the edge of them, sporting a long scar that stretched from above his left eyebrow down to the middle of his cheek and into his scruffy, grey-streaked beard. 

"Well, I'm glad they are both here. It will distract Lena and hopefully motivate her to not drink a whole cabinet's full of alcohol while they're here," James blank face turns into a mask of confusion, anger, and sadness. "Sam and I are trying our best but it can only help so much, especially with someone as stubborn as Lena is.

"At this point, the boys motivate Lena to keep going. If it wasn't for them-"James trails off slowly.

The shorter woman 'hmps' to James's last sentence as she solely focused on the sky. He turns to study her face, noting the lines on her forehead and the bags under her eyes. Years of grief, stress, heartbreak, and sadness had really taken its toll on the Director. The first few years of trying to find Kara, and the stressful job of becoming the director of the DEO, and lastly, keeping National City from running to hell. But throughout the years, even though Alex's once fierce eyes had lost their power, today, something shone in them. No matter what, she kept looking towards the sky, focusing solely on the black hole the loomed over them. 

"Alex," the taller of the two begins softly. He lays a strong hand on Alex's left shoulder. "When you called me and told me that you needed me here. I came. But when you told me you thought it was Kara? Look, I know, it's a coincidence that this is happening on today but I don't believe it's Kar-"

Alex snatches her shoulder from James's hand as if it had been fire to her skin. Her face is scrunched up in anger and her hands are are balled into fist against her sides. She gives James the glare of absolute death, as if she could melt him away with her own laser eyes. "If I want to believe that my damn sister is out there, I will and who the hell are you to tell me tha-"

"Director Danvers!" Brainy yells out in greeting as he and Superman land in front of James and Alex, unknowingly interrupting Alex's furious rant. Alex quickly looks to the source of interruption before returning her eyes back to Guardian.

When dark blue and black boots touch the ground, they fail to tear Alex's glare away from James's surprised expression. Brainy and Superman both look upon the other pair with puzzled expressions before turning to each other with raised eyebrows. The continuous, soft rain had somewhat intensified when Brainy and Superman returned back to the ground.

"Director Danvers?" Brainy questions more firmly as he bring his hands together, connecting his fingertips in front of his stomach. 

"Axe, we found something," Kane lays his hand on his aunt's shoulder, silently trying to bring her attention from James to him. Alex turns her attention to Superman, eyes adjusting first to the white 'S' on his chest then up to his intense blue eyes. She then turns her eyes to Brainy. "What did you find?"

Brainy takes a hand and quickly wipes his face and slicks back his dark hair before returning to his normal stance.  He clears his throat before squaring his shoulders. 

"I have cross referenced charts on the percent of acidity in the rain from National City over the last month and none seem to match the rain that pours from the temporal anomaly. The acidity from the anomaly compared to that of the rain from National City clouds is three numbers below the PH of normal acidity in the rain here. It seems as though the acid in the rain that pours from the temporal anomaly does not belong here. I've even crossed reference with neighboring cities and none of the PHs of those match the rain that falls from the anomaly."

Brainy looks down to the wet gravel and squints his eyes as he becomes lost in thought.

"What does that mean Brainy?" James asks, taking a step forward, his head tilting to the right in attempt to understand the fifth level intellect. 

"My guess would be that it is coming from another dimension, earth, or time space."

"So it's kind of like a breach to our earth? Like when Barry shows up here?" Guardian continues to question.

"Yes, except this "breach" won't close like a normal one would," Superman answers. He then looks back to Alex, wiping the rain from his face. "I'm thinking our next step could be to figure out how to close it."

"I agree. But not only that, we need to get up there before it's not only rain coming out," Alex crosses her arms back over her chest.

"Director, I do not think that is the most logical course of action. I think we should wait until I have gathered enough information about the anomaly and try to pinpoint exactly what is on the other side," Brainy's eyebrow squeeze together and his eyes sharpen.

"We have as much information as we need right now. How soon can the both of you be ready?" she motions to James and Kane. Brainy gives an incredulous look as he tries to interrupt the fiery Director.

"I'm ready right now."

"So am I," Kane crosses his arms over his chest, blocking the with "S". 

"Okay, Brainy. You'll stay here on comms and monitor the other black holes. You two, be ready in twenty," Alex turns and takes off towards a black van.

Kane quirks an eyebrow at James before following his Alex. "Axe!" he calls out as he and Alex reach the van at the same time. Alex turns as Kane puts a hand on one of the open rear doors. 

"Yeah kid?"

"Look, we don't know where we're going once we get in that thing," he points to the anomaly,"I'd feel better if we had not only one, but two Kryptonians. If Knox came with us, we'd have extra-"

Alex widens her eyes. "Hell no! Do you remember the last time you got hurt on a mission? Lena about nearly killed me herself.  Just think if I took both of you! I wouldn't hear the end of it," the fiery grey-streaked Directors pinches the bridge of her nose.

"Look, what if something happens to you or James and I can't get to either of you? What if something happens to me and you both can't get out of there? Come on Axe, you know it'd be more safe with Knox here. If anything happens, when we all make it out of there," he puts his hands on his aunt's shoulder, "I'll tell mom, that it was all my idea."

Alex sighs as she looks to the left in thought, her eyebrows scrunched in frustration. 

"Please Axe, I'm just trying to keep everyone safe here," Superman pleads one more time. Alex turns to her nephew, her brown eyes widened as she recognized that sentence before, except her name was actually said correctly.

 

* * *

 

 

_11 P.M.; 26 years ago; 2018_

_"Please Alex, I'm just trying to keep everyone safe, I need to go," Kara grunts in pain as she sits up from the sun bed. Her suit is torn at her torso and her arms, with light bleeding blending in with her suit. Her cape is ripped in half and there's blood on her forehead and a black eye from where she was head planted into the ground._

_"Kara lay back down!" Alex drops the tablet she's holding and runs to stand in front of Kara._

_"I swear to God, if you don't lay down, I will bench you for a month!" Alex pushes against Kara's shouldering, attempting to put the Kryptonian back in her bed._

_"Alex, there's people who need help! The agents you sent won't be able to defeat her!" Kara yells as she fights against Alex's arm, weakened by the amount of power she exerted and by how badly she was beaten down._

_"Kara look at me!" the young Director squares herself and bends down to catch Kara's wild blue eyes. "We can handle Red Daughter! If you go back out there right now, a sun bed won't be able to help you. I won't be able to help you!"_

_Kara grabs tightly on to her sister's forearms. "The DEO agent you sent out there will die! I need to go-" Supergirls grips Alex's arm tight as she pleads with her intense eyes._

_If Kara had been paying attention, she would have hear the clicking of heels making their way to the med-bay._

_"Kara?" Alex and Kara both turn with wide eyes to the open door of the med-bay._

_"Lena?" Kara stutters with nervous, wide eyes as she and Alex are frozen in their positions. "You called her?," Supergirl whispers, never taking her eyes off her wife. "She going to kill me!"_

_"I knew you wouldn't listen to me when you woke up."_

_Lena takes a step forward, her black heel making making a silent click as she watches the pair with angry, seething eyes. She keeps her right hand on the glass door for support as her left to pushes back her black coat to support her full stomach._

_Alex and Kara disentangle from each other and Alex takes a step back. She looks between the pair. "I'll leave you two alone."_

_Alex looks back to Kara. "We got this handled for now,'" the young Director gives a stern look as she walks out the glass doors, passing Lena and giving a look of reassurance._

_When the doors close, Kara begins blabbing like a waterfall._

_"Lee, I'm okay. I swear I'm okay. It might look worse than you think," Supergirl winces as she attempts to sit more comfortably on the bed. She grabs the side of the sun bed in attempt to ignore the pain in her ribs and head._

_"But I'm okay. She was just a stronger than I was expecting but that's nothing we haven't handled before right? Lee?" Kara questions as she stares and her stone faced wife who hadn't move from where she walk in by the med doors. She just glared at Kara, one hand on stop of her swollen belly and one underneath to support._

_"Lee, you okay?" Kara questions again, struggling to stand up to get as near as Lena as possible, her eyes flickering down to her wife's swollen stomach. Kara winces as she gets on her feet. She presses a slightly bloodied hand to her naked abdomen for support. She takes a step forward before she hears a sigh._

_Kara pauses in mid-step and she looks to Lena's green eyes nervously. Lena slowly begins taking steps till she's standing right in front of Kara. She rakes her eyes over the scratches, bruises, and dried blood all over Kara's body. She brings her hardened stare to scrutinize Kara's temporarily bruised skin which was usually flawless and glowing._

_Lena brings a perfectly manicured hand to hover near her wife's bruised eye, all while glaring back a Kara's nervous stare. "Lena.." Kara whispers, pleading for the shorter woman to say something._

_"Don't," Lena sternly spits out. Her hand drops back to her side. "Lay down Kara."_

_Kara's eyebrows pull together as she opens her mouth to argue. "Lena, I can't I have-"_

_"I swear Kara, if you finish that sentence," Lena spits out. Kara opens her mouth to argue back before sighing in defeat. She struggle to lay back down, grunting when she finally does. Lena turns to pick the tablet up before turning back to Kara. "I'm going to turn this back on and you're going to lay under here until you're fully charged. If I find out that you left this sun bed before you were done, I swear Kara, I will murder you myself when you get home."_

_Kara scowls and silently pouts as Lena sets the tablet back down after turning the sun bed on._

_Lena looks down at her wife. "Be safe Kara. I will see you when you get home," Lena softens her glare for a second before turning to leave the med bay._

_Kara guiltily watches her as she leaves. Rao, Lena would have her ass when she got home tonight. Not only that, she'd get the silent treatment and couch for the week. But worst of all, she wouldn't get to rub what Lena call's their "little bean" when she would kick around in Lena's stomach. Kara sighed as she closed her eyes._

_An hour. She only needed an hour under the sun bed until she'd be back at least at seventy percent. An hour she'd hope that the DEO would be able to hold off her doppelgänger. An hour that'd make it closer till she'd have to face her very scary and pregnant wife._

* * *

_2:24 A.M._

_Kara sighed as she landed on the balcony of her and Lena's room at the back of their mansion. Luckily, Kara had gotten there just in time just to shoot Red Daughter with a concentrated dose of Lena's Kryptonite. Just enough to subdue her for a small amount of time but unluckily, she'd be back another day. But Supergirl and the DEO would be ready next time._

_Kara quietly opened their glass, balcony doors and stepped into darkness. She listened for Lena's heartbeat, finding that it had quickened since Kara had step in the room. The blonde quietly closed the doors and made her way to the other side of the room to get some pajamas out of the lower drawers of a dark wooden cabinet. Finding a favorite pair of dark grey sweats and one of Lena's sweatshirts, she went and quietly sat on the edge of their bed, making sure to not wake Lena._

_Kara winced as she took off her boots and letting them fall to dark wooden panels on the floor. Luckily, she was only sore with light bruising. The only cut that hadn't healed was the one on her stomach which would be gone before Kara woke up the next morning. Next Kara unclipped her cape and then struggled to reach around her back and unzip her suit. She wince and grunted and she fought the pain on her back and stomach to reach around._

_Kara sighed as she settle her arms on either side of her body, gripping the edge of the bed in frustration._

_The blonde took a break as she listened to Lena's heartbreak. It was still the same pace as it was when Kara had walked in. Kara listened close to Lena's breathing and heard a shaky sigh as the sheets started shifting and were thrown to the opposite side of the bed._

_Kara remained silent as Lena slowly moved to sit behind Kara, her plumping with a sigh. Lena moved Kara's frizzy, rubble-filled blonde hair over her right shoulder. She moved shaky hands to the top of Kara's suit and slowly began unzipping downward, green eyes squeezing shut as she took in the bruising and dried blood. Lena pushed the suit forward on Kara's shoulders, just enough for the blonde to shrug off the sleeves and peel it downwards to slip out of the whole suit, leaving her in underwear and a sports bra._

_Lena solemnly looked at her wife's bruised and bloodied back, raising her hand to softly graze the different spots on her back._

_"It's not as bad as it looks. I'm only sore," Kara barely whispers into the darkness of their room, shivering as Lena passed her hands on Kara's back. "How are you feeling? I noticed you were massaging your stomach earlier when you came.. Little bean must be kicking a lot huh?"_

_Lena remains silent, her glassy eyes fixed on how badly Kara's back was black and blue. She winced as their little bean did kick her really good in the ribs._

_"Lena, say something please," the Kryptonian quietly asked, her back still to Lena, her hands wringing nervously in her lap._

_The CEO sighed for the thousandth time that night removed her hands from her wife's back, sitting back on the hinds of her feet and her knees. "Lee?" Kara questions, turning around to look her in the eyes._

_"I know, I messed up this time. Please, say something to me!" Kara quietly pleaded, her hand reaching up to caress Lena's right cheek through her dark, wavy raven hair._ _There was a long pause and Kara's eyes pleaded with Lena's for her to say something, anything. Kara almost pulled away until she felt Lena's cold hand cover hers._

_"Do you ever think of what you have to lose when you fly head first into a fight, into danger?" the brunette quietly whispers, barely enough for even Kara hear._

_The blonde's face contorts into a solemn frown. "Always. I think of the baby, you, Alex, Maggie, and J'onn."_

_"Obviously you do not because if you did Kara, you'd be more careful!" the CEO spits out, her voice rising with every word. Lena grabs Kara's hand and removes it away from her face. "You could've been hurt Kara! If they hadn't got you out when they did-"_

_"I'm being as careful as I can Lee!" Kare counters back._

_"Don't call me that right now Kara!" Lena winces and she goes to rub her stomach. Kara speeds to the back of Lena. She fixes two pillows and goes to lead Lena to lay down. Lena angrily complies as she slowly lays back. Kara sits next to Lena, her hands hovering over Lena's, asking for silent permission to touch her. Lena just rolls her eyes as she grabs Kara's and moves them to replace hers._

_The pregnant brunette sighs in comfort as Kara's hands immediately soothe her stomach._

_"When I'm fighting, Lena," she begins softly as she continues to rub Lena's swollen belly,"you and this baby are what gives me the power to not lose, to get back up, and to keep fighting and win. Do I think of it sometimes? What would happen if I did lose? Yes and I couldn't imagine leaving you alone, let alone little bean._

_"You are the reason for which I am existing, for which I am living, and my main source of happiness and do I ever want to lose that? No. I am always careful Lena. Don't ever think I am not. I can't fathom existing on an earth that you did not. It physically makes me sick and if that's the same for you, I will take extra precaution to be careful Lena. I will always be careful, I have too much to lose, too much to protect."_

_Kara looks down to Lena's round belly and bends to give several kisses before removing her hands. She then looks to Lena, whose hand is running through her dark hair and the other is gripping the sheets. Her emerald eyes hold a glassy sheen over them as she looks to Kara. "I am sorry Lena. I didn't mean to scare you or stress you out. I will be extra careful next time okay? I promise."_

_Lena's cold glare softens through each and every one of Kara's words. "I can't imagine raising this little girl without you, Kara, so I'm holding you to that promise. I know this is who you are and I would never change that but please, I... We can't lose you okay?"_

_The blonde gently smiles. "Okay, I promise," the Super says, laying down face Lena, one hand on stomach. Kara scoots over till her gentle red lips meet Lena's slightly paler ones._ _"I love you."_

_"I love you more than anything Kara."_  
  


 

* * *

_11:31_

_'What a surprise here!" Alex yells out as Supergirl approaches her all light and cheery._

_"I was expecting you to come back sulking over the fact of how long you had to sleep on the couch for this week but I guess you worked the puppy dog eyes huh?" Alex hugs her sister as she smiles._

_"We talked it out when I got back home this morning. She wasn't the happiest but I did promise to be more careful than usual."_

_"She sounds easier than Maggie. I swear, I had to sleep on the couch once for two weeks when I got pretty bruised up. I did not hear the end of it!" Alex rolls her eyes at the now funny memory._

_"Speaking Mags, how is she?" Kara asks as the stroll to the comm center of the DEO. Countless agents in black all walk around them, making their ways to various destinations._

_Alex chuckles. "She's been practicing for our next family game night and in all honesty Kara, I think you might meet your match this time."_

_The women's conversation is slightly interrupted when Brainy walks up to the pair. "Supergirl, there's a bank robbery on Fifth and Hodges. Police are on their way but you'll probably beat them," the fifty level says as she taps away on his tablet._

_Kara looks determined as she turns to Alex_

_"Oh, we'll see about that," Kara grins and her blue eyes shine with such determination. "There's nothing I can't beat!" Supergirl says before launching out of the DEO._

 

* * *

 

 

She searched Kane's eyes. They had the determination, stubbornness, and courage behind them just like Kara's. Boy, did her nephew look just like her. The blue eyes and the blonde hair, he even had the twitchy eyebrow thing she had when she lied. 

But, in this moment, he looked just her sister. Just like Kara always did when she was plummeting head first into danger. Determined. Strong. Resilient. Stubborn. But all for the protection of the people of the earth. For J'onn, James, and Sam. For Alex and Maggie. For Lena and their kids. 

Alex sighs again and she points him square in his face, "Fine, but when Lena comes to finish me off, I'm taking you with me."

"Deal," Kane gives a reassuring smile as he leans down to pull his cellphone out of his dark blue boots. "Meet you in twenty," he says, turning and tapping away to find his brother's contact.

Five minutes later, after listening to his brother ask for help and ignoring the consequences, which was their scary mother when she would find out that they had flew into a black hole with no idea what's on the other side, he groaned as he forced himself to get up. He only promised to come with the guarantee that Kane would text their mother and tell her what they were doing.  

Knox lets out a deep breath and his drop his phone next to him. Boy, was their mother going to kill them when she woke up to find out they went into a black hole together. He hurriedly speeds to the white wall to the right of his room. He presses his hand on the wall and it lights up in a bright emerald green.

The white wall then is outlined with green light again and it pushes itself in and begins to turn backwards.

When the hidden door on the wall is finished turning to face Knox, it reveals an all black suit, bearing silver symbol of the house of El on it's jacket, where Knox's heart would be. The long sleeve suit jacket was fastened in the middle and tucked into semi-figure fitting black pants which were fastened with a belt. The black pants were tucked into matching boots, which had silver linings around the tops of them.

Knocked sighed as he scratched his scruffy beard and took off his glasses and throwing them on ruffled, white sheets.

The Metropolis CEO proceeds to take a step forward in darkness and grab his suit before speeding it on and heading to his mother's room. He looks down over her sleep-ridden face which was covered with dark strands of her hair. "We'll be back Mom, I promise," the young Luthor-Danvers bends down to kiss his mother's head before turning to the balcony doors and flying to the night. 

It wasn't hard to find the biggest black hole in the city and Knox flew past building, making a line through the off and on rain of the city. He slicked back his hair as he pinpointed the tell-tale sign of a large group of DEO agents swarming below him.

He lands quietly and beelines for his brother and the others.

Kane turns his head to the right as he recognizes a familiar sound, his brother's heartbeat. He turns around, taking in Knox's old suit that never got any use. 

"You kept it? Haven't seen that in a while, it still looks good and it fits," Superman jokingly makes as Knox gives him a playful glare. "I didn't think I'd be needing it anymore but I kept it, Mom told me to.

"I'm still not use to this suit," Knox says motioning to his brother's suit. It was a dark blue suit, outlined with a lighter blue around his stomach. The standard family crest was outlined and connected to the cape, both a bright white that could be seen for miles. On the other side his cape, was bright red, which fell down to his calves. Dark blue boots outlined with white on the tops of them fell to the middle of his shin.

The pair then turn to face James who has a bright smile on his face at seeing his other nephew. "Uncle James," the bearded twin looks to his uncle and gives a grin before giving him a good hug. "Long time no see," Guardian says, rain falling off his head and into his beard. "I see you had to get one just like me huh?" the older man jokes as he rubs a hand over his shaven down beard.

"I thought I could sport it. Plus, it'd help tell the difference between the two of us to other people," the CEO says, his green eyes sparkling in the darkness. 

Light footstep approach, Kane giving his brother a nervous look realization dawns on him.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Director Danvers approaches, eyeing everyone and then her other nephew last. He refuses to look at her, eyes staring hard straight passed her. Everyone nods, Kane headed over to grab Alex and Knox to grab Jame's.

The group slowly launches off through the rain, headed towards the unknown of the black hole. 

"Director can you hear me? Doing a comms check," Brainy beeps into Alex's ear. "Yes, Brainy, loud and clear. Is the signal still strong?"

"Yes, I can pinpoint all four of your locations."

"Good, we're passing through right now," the grey-streaked brunette taps her ear as she looks up at the hole. It was a very big compared to just viewing it from the ground. Alex swallowed any nervousness down and into her stomach. She looks to her group members as they pass through, her eyes catching Knox's look to her and his brother.

"Here goes nothing, hang on," Superman says seriously, his grip tightening on his aunt as all four passed through the blackhole and into darkness. 

It felt like forever they had been in darkness. It went on for miles and miles as they flew straight ahead, rain still falling around them. Five minutes passed before Knox called out in the darkness to Kane, "Look, do you see it?" 

Kane zones his eyes on a small flash of light at least thirty feet away from them. "I see it, let's go."

The brother's give each other a reassuring nod before flying to the source of the light. All four looked beneath them as their faces contorted into one of confusion. No one spoke as they passed through yet another black hole. Rain soaked their faces as they passed through, lightening flashing around them. They all froze as they took in the sight beneath them. 

"What the hell? Is that?" James is the first to speak, his voice wavering in confusion as he looked beneath them. Lightening roars past them again, striking an unknown spot beneath them. 

The sight beneath them staggers them all, everyone's eyes wide with confusion.

How did this happen? Who could have done this? Where were they? These were all questions as they took in the crumbling city beneath them. It was a ghost town. How could a city of millions of people look like this now? It was as if someone just took a bomb and exploded it right in the middle of it.

Hundreds of buildings were crumblings into the ground, lightening outlining their demise. The roads were covered with debris and mud. There was no light from it. Everything was pure darkness. 

"It's National City."


	3. Two Ghosts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kindddddd of a short chapter. I tried my best. The artistic block was just really high for this one. But this chapter will be finished in the next one. It's like a two part chapter for this "scene." I also didn't proofread so excuse any errors! Let me know if you find any!

"Leave it up to Mom to have a building lockdown with Nth metal-lined walls than normal metal," Kane retorts, slicking back his slightly dried blonde hair.

Upon entering this different version of National City, the group of four floated in awe of the destruction beneath them. The once hustle and bustle of the city was now similar to that of a wasteland. The twists and winds of endless roads were now cracked and covered in weeds and debris. Building that once stood tall in the sun now were either crumpled to the ground or barely hanging on by a thread, the soft wind threatening to knock them to the ground. 

Luckily, while scanning that city for a safe place to land while the rest stared in disbelief, Knox spotted the once bright and bold silver "L" on a building at least a thousand feet. The four quickly made haste to the tall building, all while remaining cautious of the quiet city around them.

James paced the old Luthor balcony back and forth, eyeing the dark overcast of the clouds above them. "I wonder how long it's been like this. It seems like.."

"Years" Alex finishes, turning around to face James. 

"All I can gather is that Mom didn't even want Kryptonians getting into L-Corp if it ever did lock down," the younger twin brother muttered from where he stood over a screen to the right of the balcony. Knox tapped the screen, hoping it would light up with the Luthor company symbol. The green eyed Luthor sighed one last time as he smashed the screen, causing it to crack and break.

"You know, we could just smash through the building and call it a day," Superman retorts, smirking at his brother as he crossed his arms over the white "S" on his chest.

"That would be reckless and could alert our location to anyone that maybe out here. Not the best move," Kane sighs at James.

"Look, we're just going to have to try and lift the door. Momma use to do it all the time, we can too," the young CEO looks down at the ground, barely whispering his idea. Frown lines crease Kane's forehead and cheeks as he remembers the various times their mother told them of her encounters with Nth metal.

"Come on," they both crouch down to the bottom of the silver door, their boots crunching in the gravel. At first, it looks as if they're just crouching in a sitting position, but slowly their faces turn slightly pink and their lips crack, baring their teeth in struggle.

James and Alex both stand behind them, cautiously surveying the land around them.

The brothers both grunt in frustration. "Come on little brother, being a CEO and sitting in a chair must have gotten you out of shape," Superman mocks his brother between his labored grunts. "You were literally born three minutes before me," Knox responds annoyed, his aggravation aiding him in lifting the door. After a few more seconds before the door finally gives way, dirt and dust combined falling with the loud creaking sound of door. 

The twins both release a grunt relief as the lift the door all the up, locking it in place. The soft light from the cloudy sky and moon illuminate Lena Luthor's dust covered office. Kane is the first to lead the small group through the glass door, x-raying the entire room in search of any intruder or danger. "It's clear," he calls over his dark blue shoulder.

The four step into the dark room, all waving their hands and arms as if to clear the dust that had been sitting years.  "It's Lena's office from years ago," Alex steps inside the door, her hand resting on her firearm to her right hip. Her dark eyebrows are furrowed as she cautiously walks around the room, James following close behind her, one arm with his shield the other on the gun on his hip. "There has to be something in here that can tell us where we are or what happened," Guardian looks to solemnly to the couch where he had comforted Lena many nights after Kara and their daughter's disappearance. 

Kane slowly steps to Lena's desk, with Knox following along side of him.

"It's just like it was when we were kids," Knox walks over to Lena's desk, wiping a finger on the glass to survey the dust. His green eyes follow his finger path to a clear glass frame close to the computer, his face becoming a storm of emotions as he picks up the frame. The green eyed Luthor brushes the dust off the face of the frame with his right hand as he takes a shaky breath. 

It's a picture of his parents long before his dark haired mother had sleepless nights and aging lines on her face and long before his other had disappeared. They're sitting on a couch in what looks like his blue eyed mother's old apartment he had seen in pictures. Both women are dressed in ugly Christmas sweaters, with Kara wearing reindeer antlers and Lena wearing a Santa hat. Lena's face in contorted in the the widest grin, it reaching her eyes as Kara's face is turned sideways to the camera and pressing her lips to Lena's flawless cheek. 

Kane walks next to his brother, sighing as he looks to the picture, his face a sea of emotion. Superman lays a tan hand on Knox's left shoulder, causing him to gently set the picture back down to its original place. Knox clears his throat as he steps away, moving to the right to check the dusted over computer. 

Kane drops his hand to his said, sighing as he steps around the computer to go look at a bookshelf located to the far part of the room.

Knox quickly looks at his brother before turning his eyes back to the computer. He turns around behind him and grabs the dark black desk chair, pulling it near him and sitting down. Knox moves the white wireless mouse several times, all failing to turn on the computer.

"Hey, look over here," James calls out, he's bent at knee level, checking a crack in the dusty white walls. Kane walks over followed by Alex and Knox and crouches down next to James. "Before your parents got together Kara asked me to break into Lena's private lab to see if she had any Kryptonite. In our time, Lena's lab was several floors below, but I believe this might be it. This was never here in our version of this time."

Guardian grunts as he pushes against the cracked wall. He then gives a quizzical brow as he turns to his nephew. "Mind giving me a hand?"

Kane smirks as he pushes against the wall, first softly to test sturdiness, then with more force, causing it to push inward and slide to the left, the room inside flickering with soft green lights. James is the first to walk into the flickering room followed by Kane and Knox.

Alex is the last to walk in, turning her back to give Lena's office a once over before cautiously stepping into the hidden room. As she takes her first step, she surveys the room, watching as the lights struggle to flicker after what maybe years of power loss. Lena's private laboratory is dusted over, everything untouched and perfectly in place unlike her office. Test tubes and syringes lie perfectly on metal tables, stacks of paper lie untouched on another, and a various tablet lies on another. 

Alex rounds the middle table, eyes solely focused on the old tablet. The Director takes her hand off of her side and slowly picks up the tablet, blowing the remove the dust from the face of it. She lightly taps the surface, waiting for a second to see if it responds. Alex double taps again in an attempt to wake the old tablet.  _Of course it's dead._ The dark haired woman lays the tablet back down on the metal table, jumping when machines behind her and the monitor to her left come roaring to life. 

"What the hell?" Alex's wide eyes turn to look at her group, all of them on guard and looking around, all missing the giant monitor flashing before the large metal desk in front of it. 

The sound of a voice clearing its throat echos throughout the room. " _To begin with, the date is April 26th, 2018."_

Alex, James, Kane, and Knox all turn to face the monitor behind them, eyes wide with recognition and confusion.

A young Lena Luthor is standing perfectly in front of it, her hands clasped in front of her burgundy and black three piece suit. Her dark raven hair is pulled back into a tight pony tail. Her green eyes hold no light in them, as her face is serious and lacks any of the spark that James and Alex once knew years ago. 

Lena takes a wavering breath as she continues, her eyes squaring the camera. " _It's been one year since the Daxamite attack. Supergirl was able to defeat Rhea and her army with the help of Lex's device but unluckily, the rift in space and time that I created that allowed the Daxamites onto earth re-opened two weeks ago. Even though it took two days, Supergirl, the DEO, and I were able to close it by modifying a B61-12 nuclear bomb. We sent it to the other side and of course, it exploded and created enough gravitational pull to close the rift from the other side."_

Lena's perfectly manicured hands begin lightly tapping on her suit jacket in nervousness.

" _But, within five days, another opened in the center of Metropolis. Not only was it a larger rift, but we also couldn't close it."_

Kane and Knox eyes are wide as they stare at their young mother in amazement. 

" _We could also see another planet from this rift. One Brainy called 'Apokolips', Darkseid's planet. For two days we_ _effortlessly tried to close the rift in fear that Darkseid's forces, who was deceased at that point, would attempt to come through the rift,"_ the monitor glitches before continuing before allowing Lena to continue.

" _We were too occupied trying to keep anything that could harm us out, that we didn't think to keep anything in, meaning Lex."_ Lena looks down angrily, her emerald eyes turning grayish green. " _Lex escaped from prison and used his Lexosuit to enter the rift, coming back a week later not only with Darkseid's fleet, but with Darkseid himself. It turns out Lex resurrected Darkseid and made a deal to help him get to earth only if he killed Superman._

_"Luckily, they haven't succeeded and the invasion of Darkseid's has been contained to Metropolis. Superman and Ka-Supergirl have been able to contain the number of ships that passed through up until today."_

Lena looks up to the camera, eyebrows furrowed and her eyes lost in thought as she takes yet another steady breath. " _Lex was able to copy my formula from my Kryptonite that I used to subdue Reign and concentrate it till it was lethally fatal to both Krypto-"_ Lena's attention is turned down right burgundy suit pocket. She pulls out her phone and her eyes tighten confusion. The young Luthor taps her phone and brings it up to her ear. 

" _Alex, what the hell?_ _She what? Wait, where are they? How are the Kryptonite levels that high? The only Kryptonite that lethal is the one locked in my... "_ Lena's eyes widen as realization dawns on her. " _Alex, get them out of there as soon as possible! I'm on my way,"_ Lena taps her phone, ending the call and sliding it back into her pocket. She then picks up a remote located on the middle table behind her and turns back to the monitor, shutting it off.

James goes to speak but is cut off as the monitor flickers and turns back on. The picture shows a young Lena again with the same lines of stress around her eyes and bags from lack of sleep. She's dressed in a women's white dress shirt that is tucked into black slacks. Her hair is pulled back into a sleek, tight bun and her lips are painted with a deep red lipstick. 

Her once animated emerald eyes seem as if they're grey as they slowly look up. 

"March 15 _, 2019. It's been almost a year since I last recorded one of these. In fact, I don't know why I even do this. I guess you could say it help keeps me sane through all of this? With Kara being gone and fighting, I need something that I can talk to, to voice my thoughts._

_"After my last video, things in Metropolis took a turn for the worse.. Superman and Supergirl were ambushed on what we thought was a mission to infiltrate one of Darkseid's general's command ship. They were both shot with highly concentrated Kryptonite bullets and smoked out with gas. Luckily, J'onn, Brainy, and Dreamer were able to get them out of there but not without losses._ _I tried everything I could to get the Kryptonite out of his system. I even created sun lamps that were concentrated with blue supergiant star energy but.._

Lena squares her eyes. 

" _Superman is dead and it's my fault. If I hadn't created the most lethal concentration of Kryptonite there was, Lex wouldn't have found it and been able to supercharge it to what we used on Reign. Superman is dead and it's because of me,"_ the young CEO's voice cracks as her eyes water. 

" _Kara has been fighting nonstop ever since his death a few months ago. She won't talk to anyone, not even Alex or I. She's completely disappeared from my life and it's as if she's just shut down emotionally and the only way to cope with Clark's death is to fight. She just stays in Metropolis and continues to fight, trying to contain a spreading army that has passed city limits and into neighboring cities. I fear she blames me and she has every right. Two Luthors killed a Super. I am at fault for what was aided in Superman's death. I.. Kara just... Left me, she left me alone and shut me out... I'm so angry at her but then my anger falters when I think of what happened to Clark and... Wha-what if she never speaks to me again? What if she wants nothing to do with me?"_ Lena's voice cracks as soft tears begins to roll down smooth, pale cheeks. " _I can't live in a world where I don't have Kara. I can't go back to before there was Kara,"_ Lena puts a hand to her mouth and she squeezes her eyes shut, hot tears spilling. 

_"You won't and you never will," Lena's red rimmed eyes widen as she turns to her left._

"Momma," the twins whisper in unison into the silent rooms, their eyes wide and swelling with unshed tears.

Alex gasps as a hand shoots up to her mouth in disbelief and her other grasps on her midsection. "Kara," James wide brown eyes water and widen in confusion.

 

* * *

 

 

_"Kara, you-you're back," the CEO whispers in disbelief, her red-rimmed emerald eyes watering. The soft thuds of Kara's boots echo through the cutting silence of the laboratory. Lena's body tightens and goes rigid as Kara makes a slow stride towards her, determination yet sadness in her eyes._

_Lena takes in Kara's appearance. The only time she'd see Kara was on either television through a daring reporter's camera or from a helicopter hovering near whatever battle was taking place. It'd take her breath away every time Kara would get thrown into a building or buried under piles and piles of rubble. It felt as if someone had literally sucked all the air out of Lena's lungs and froze her in place, not registering the pain and screaming of her lungs to take a breath. It's ironic how in this case, Kara's presence not only takes Lena's breath away, but causes her body to tremble yet tighten and freeze at Kara's gaze._

_Underneath Kara's stark ocean eyes were bags from sleepless nights and stress of the war she was no raging against Lex Luthor and Darkseid. Yet, her shoulder still stood strong and broad, clad in the dark, one piece suit. It was as if Clark's death took Kara's skirt with him, her opting out for a more powerful appearance and boy, did those pants fit her well._

_"I am," Kara stops four feet short of where Lena was poised on her stool. It's as if with every step towards Lena, Kara's Supergirl persona shrank away and the nerdy, sweet and stuttering reporter emerged. Supergirl nervously runs her hands up and down her clad thighs._

_"It's been months. Is everything okay?" Lena tries to swallow and even out her shallow breathing. She fidgets with her ring on her right hand, begging for this small action to keep her hands from shaking._

_"Everything is fine. I just... I came back to... I'm here to..." Kara takes a shaky breath and her gaze meets anywhere but Lena's eyes._

 

_"Lena," the superhero clears her voice with renewed firmness as the CEO turns to fully face the blonde superhero and exhales and squares her eyes solely on the blonde's blue._

_"I am deeply, deeply, deeply, sorry for being gone this long and for hurting you so much. I just... I needed to take some time but I just never meant to take that much and... I'm just, I'm so sorry Lena and I will tell you sorry for the rest of our lives if I have to and if you need me to and I don't... I don't blame you at all for Clark's death. It was solely Lex. I know I said I did when I left but Rao Lena... I said it out of anger and I was hurting so much and I wasn't seeing clearly when it first happened but... I swear, I will never walk away again._ _I feel like the universe has led me through countless worlds to get to you and it frightens me that by my own actions, I've almost lost you so please..."_

_Lena's pale lips are tightened and she sits frozen on her chair, allowing to what feels like hours to pass by through the sickening silence._

_"Even though you were in Metropolis," Lena gracefully stands up from her chair, smoothing out her plaid gray and black pants and stepping towards Kara, "it's as if you flew those countless worlds away from not only me, but from Alex, from your family and you never looked back. You left for a mission and you never came back. For seven months, the only thing we've seen of you was through various news broadcasts on television. We saw you through a screen Kara!" the CEO spits her last sentence as if she had put something foul and sour in her mouth and spit it back out._

_Lena pinches the bridge of her nose and she puffs out a breath of anger and sadness. "Don't misunderstand me Kara, I get it. The last person of your bloodline died, the only person who understood you in ways I as a human couldn't. But Clark's death was on me too, it was my Kryptonite that aided in his death and I don't blame you at all if you're angry at me Kara, I'm angry with myself. But, you left me alone, you shut me out. I had to deal with everything on my own after you left; the guilt, the pain, not being able to be there for you."_

_"I wanted you to Lena, and after I left I realized that what I had said wasn't right and it killed me. I knew you would fall into a bottomless pit of self-loathing and guilt and I should have been there to catch you like you would have caught me if I'd let you. I wanted-I should have been there for you, just as much as you would have been there or me. It's just, fighting in Metropolis and around the world just weighed me down and then Clark? When it happened_ _I saw nothing but red when Lex told me after the explosion happened. He told me as I watched Clark moan and writhe in pain and I felt completely helpless as I couldn't even register anything but the pain that felt like knives running through my veins."_

_Kara's eyes flutter closed and flenched at the memories that flashed in her mind. "I should've stayed Lena. I regret everyday  that I've stayed gone away from you and our family. We would've gotten through it together and we would have been better than we are right now. I just... I didn't see any other way to handle it."_

_"Kara, you have to realize that this is a relationship that consists of not only you, but me. Two people," Lena held up two fingers. "Just because you were ready to come back today, doesn't mean I am. Not yet. Don't misunderstand me, I love you, with everything I am and I'll never stop but I just- I need a little time," Leno crosses her arms over her chest._

_"That's fine Lena, take however much you need. I've taken enough and I'll be here waiting okay?"_

_"Okay."_

_Kara gave a small smile of reassurance that did not reach her eyes. She took in every inch of Lena before she had to force herself to turn around and walk away from the woman she loved most. Every step Kara took out of the laboratory, her heart fell deeper and deeper into her chest. Her throat constricted as she tried to swallow the pain of suppressing her need to keep her emotion at bay. They'd be okay right? They've been through worse._

 

* * *

 

 

The monitor flickers off again, leaving the group in darkness once more before lighting up again. 

"No matter what time and or place they are, they always find each other," Knox stares in disbelief at witnessing this pair of his parents before the next video starts.

" _June 10, 2019._ _Kara and I.. We're okay. We're okay. She's left on a mission to go to Earth 1 to get some help here on Earth 86. But, she's coming back._

 _"Anyways, it's as if everyday Lex and Darkseid's forces spread, occupying entire countries within a day. Only parts of America, Europe, and southern Australia remain free. J'onn, Alex, and the DEO have been fighting effortlessly to keep the boundaries of National City strong while Kara's been away for the last two days. Meanwhile, I've been developing a highly concentrated and lethal form of strontium. In my research, I've found that the skins of the parademons are chemically reduced by a high dosage of strontium. I've been experimenting with it in different forms and the next step is to make it into a bullet form and see what it does and go from there._ _It'd be the same as Lex did with Kryptonite, breaking it down and building it to a different form and synthesizing it._ _I think this could maybe be a turning point for Earth if it works and I have a feeling it will. The only problem would be distributing it to the other free parts of the world, but we'll face that feat when we get there, for now, I'll focus on the positive turning point the strontium may bring,"_ a slimmer of hope and uncertainty strike determined eyes as the screen blanks off.

"At least we know what earth we're on. I'll contact Brainy and send him the information we have so far," Guardian takes careful steps out of the laboratory, leaving Alex and her two nephews with eyes solely focused on the screen in front of them. 

"Try not to go too far and be careful," Alex grabs Guardians James's forearm and gives a stern look before softening. James gives a reassuring smile and he steps back into Lena's office.

_"September 2, 2019. The strontium bullets have been working. With the help of the weapons and Earth 1's heroes  Darkseid's forces have stopped spreading and L-Corp is now leading the production of making strontium weapons. I've been able to supercharge it till it's nearly lethal to anything that comes in contact with it._ _Although this planetary war is still waging, it seems as if Earth has finally reach a point of momentary stability where the battles don't seem as gruesome and hope and light rains through the darkness of uncertainty of the fate of the human race._

_"Luckily, more light rained through our lives last week as Alex and Maggie finally got married," Lena looks down and smiles enough till it reaches her eyes. "It was small and intimate but it was a perfect wedding for the both of them. I just hope that this turning point is permanent and allows them time to be happy together without either of them worrying about the next time danger strikes close to home. But it gives me hope in times like these, that everything will be okay in the end. That Lex will give up this tirade now that he's already killed Superman and that we'll defeat Darkseid. But I know there has to be something more to all of this than just to kill Superman. It puzzles me further that Lex is helping an alien, the absolute thing that he loathes most. I just hope I can figure it out before he makes his move._

_"I have hope, I do... I just-I hope this isn't the calm before the storm."_

 


	4. Three Little Kryptonians

The first thing a person does when they wake up or are woken up is open their eyes while simultaneously and groggily taking in the environment around them. Their brain registers how warm they are underneath their blankets, how cold it is without the blanket, and the different amounts of light peeking in their room through closed curtains and blinds, if they’ve woken up correctly and not pulled from sleep by abrupt force.

If a person is forced out of a deep sleep, sleep inertia could have an affect of up to four hours. For Lena, in this case, the lack of sleep, sleep inertia, and drowsiness were no strangers to her life within the recent years. 

The first thing Lena registered when she first woke up was the deep aching in her chest, the lack of warmth beside her that kept her warm during cold nights, and the mind splitting headaches from either lack of sleep or the pools full of whiskey she would occasionally drown her self in the night before. Needless to say, the woman never woke up feeling at peace and wishing to stay in bed and play hooky like a normal person. 

But rather she wished to stay in bed to avoid the need of moving on with her life and forcing herself to interact with people other than her children. “ _It’s always easier to hide away from the world rather than facing it and realizing that life keeps moving_ ,” Alex had once told her, very much to her annoyance. 

But then again, Lena was a Luthor, and after a month of Kara and Laurel missing, she realized she couldn’t lay in bed anymore and hide in her sheets and drown in the deep depression that had swallowed her whole. Although her wife and daughter had gone missing, she had her sons which everyday she had counted as a gift since they both had so much of Kara in them. 

They and their unwavering belief in Lena that she would find their sister and their mother are what kept her moving, what kept her living, and what kept her sane.

So as Lena struggled to open her eyes and the overwhelming pain that always threatened to consume her entire being began to spread from her chest, she took in the searing bright light that softly leaked through floor to ceiling length curtains. Her dark, raven hair fanned all around her as she took slow, steady breaths, willing her body to get up and get dressed for work. 

She winced as a current migraine from the now not so appealingly whiskey she had downed on an empty stomach last night at the office. The office? How did she get from her office to her home? Did she call for her car? Wait, no. Kane and Knox. Flying. Bed.

Lena’s recollection of how she was brought home dawned on her as her eyes widened and she rolled onto her back. 

The date. What was today’s date? It couldn’t be? It hadn’t even felt like a year as the days had blended together.

“Kelex, is today April 22?” the CEO calls into the empty in a deep, raspy voice.

“Goodmorning Mrs. Luther, today is indeed April 22, 2044,” an electronic voice emitted from small, high technological speakers placed around the house and in Lena’s room.

Fifteen years. Today makes fifteen years since Kara and Laurel disappeared.

Luckily, for Lena, she couldn’t cry. She just couldn’t because she had spent so many of the first few years breaking down. This was an added bonus to her day because she didn’t want to feel anything, even though it ached her entire being and made her physically sick.

The CEO just laid on her back as her mind raced through her thoughts and focused on putting her emotions into gigantic sized boxes and storing them away to where she hopefully wouldn’t find them later.

But she did. She always did. There would never not come a day where the simple things she would come across would not remind her of her daughter and her wife and tear through the fragile wall she had poorly built to keep her emotions at bay.

Lena’s sleep ridden expression became unreadable as she just laid on her back and stared at the ceiling.

 

* * *

 

_As she slowly opened her eyes, Lena registered the overwhelming warmth coming from in front of her as she snuggled closer to the source and entangled her cold legs and toes into warm, bare legs._

_There would never not come a day where Lena wasn’t thankful for her own Kryptonian body heater. It was as if Kara was her own personal sun, the center of her universe, a symbol of warmth and light that Lena would always gravitate towards no matter where she was._

_Lena sighed as she buried her face into rays of blonde hair that smelled of vanilla and apples, allowing it to provide her temporary darkness from the soft sunlight that peeled through flowing, white curtains that were softly kissed by the wind every few seconds._

_She listened to Kara’s soft breathing, basking in the peace and calmness of Kara’s steady heart beat Lena felt underneath her hand that was wrapped Kara’s hip and tucked into her chest._

_Nothing could possibly feel any better than this._

_Well, technically, it could._

_Lena wasn’t aware of one of the double doors to their room opening slightly and the small pitter patter of feet that made their way to Kara’s side of the bed._

_Soft, blonde hair followed by excited emerald eyes rose to look at her sleeping mother._

_“Ieiu?” the six year old’s attempt at a whisper fail and Lena slowly opens her eyes and softly smiles at her daughter’s attempt to wake Kara._

_It was a feat that Lena nearly couldn’t accomplish within their first years together. Kara was a sleeping bear that could only be woken up by nearly dropping a building on her to do so. But in less than a few months after their daughter could walk, she had perfected snapping Kara out of the deepest states of sleep possible._

_“Ieiu!” the little blonde whispers again, peaking a full view of her and resting her chin on the mattress._

_She was a spitting image of both Lena and Kara. Sun kissed, blonde hair fell onto her tiny shoulders, coupled with the intensity of Lena’s stark green eyes and the warmth of Kara’s smile._

_“Ieiu!” Lena smirks into blonde tresses as she feels Kara’s heart rate increase and her feet slightly shift against Lena’s._

_“Ieiu, Ieiu, Ieiu, Ieiu, Ieiu!”_

_“Kara, your daughter is awake,” the CEO whispers into her wife’s ear, tapping her left index finger over Kara’s chest.“She’s yours before eight,” Kara stretches her lower body and brings her hand to rest over Lena’s on her chest._

_“Ieiu, you promised we’d leave early!” once excited eyes were now replaced with furrowed eyebrows and a death glare Lena had given her on more than one occasion.Kara slowly opened her blue eyes and took in her daughter and the cute little pout that ghosted her features._

_“I’m up, I’m up,” the blonde yawns before giving a soft smile which is returned with a cheeky grin._

_“Come here,” the reporter pats the bed. The little blonde wastes no time climbing onto the bed and over Kara, picking her blonde hair from Lena’s face._

_“Goodmorning Mama,” the six year old whispers into Lena’s ear._

_The CEO smiles and she unravels from Kara, turning on her back to pick up her daughter and settle her between them. “Good morning Laurel,” Lena caresses her soft cheeks affectionately, giving a slight squeeze._

_Two more pairs of feet shuffle into the bedroom and don’t hesitate to rush to the edge of the bed, giving no warning before launching themselves onto Kara and Lena._

_Lena and Kara give a soft laugh as they catch their boys, all five giggling and laughing, both parents settling the boys on their stomach._

_“Good morning boys,” Kara smiles at both her sons, settling Knox on her stomach and pinching his stomach, receiving giggles in return._

_Kane smiles brightly down to Lena, giving a toothy grin. “Morning Mama, morning Ieiu!”_

_Knox pats Kara’s hand that rest around his hips to bring his attention back to him. “Ieiu, can we come with you and Laurel? Can we Ieiu? Pleaaaase?” the younger twin finishes his plea with the signature Danver’s puppy eyes._

_Kara scrunches her nose in fake contemplation before looking to Lena who just gives her a “you know I can’t, I have work” sorry smile._

_Kara raises an eyebrow in defiance and she turns her attention back to the three pairs of eyes staring at them._

_“Only if we can talk Mama into coming with us,” the eldest blonde gives a wink and smirk to all three of her children. “I’m thinking she needs a little persuasion,” Kara taps her chin and scrunched her eyebrows, playfully pondering on what to do._

_“Persuasion huh?” Lena snorts. “I would love to but-“_

_Laurel gets a mischievous sparkle in her eye as her and Kara’s eyes connect, ignoring Lena. She smiles back before she yells out, “Tickle war!”_

_Lena’s eyes widen as Kane turns his attention from Laurel and he zeros in attention on Lena’s stomach, his tiny fingers tickling to the best of their ability._

_“I got her feet!” Knox launches off Kara’s lap and latches on to Lena’s squirming legs, wrapping himself around them like his left depended on it as Laurel crawled forward and made fast work on Lena’s neck._

_Lena squirms and laughs breathlessly as tears roll down her face. Her usual pale face is pink and her eyes scrunched as she tries to fight off the three terrors that were now attacking her with their tiny little fingers._

_Kara smiled a smile that was brighter than the sun on its sunniest days and she turned on her side and watched as her children tickled her wife to bear death.The blonde propped her head up and she watched in awe. Never would she have thought she could have this. A wife that she endlessly loved and three kids that came from that endless love.She continued watching, only commenting when Lena looked like she was near passing out from lack of oxygen from laughing._

_“All you have to do is say yes and I’ll call my little minions off.”_

_Lena turns to look at Kara through squinted eyes as she continued laughing. “I can’t... meetings... p-paperwork!” Lena struggles to answer through laughter as she tries to untangle her feet and fight off Kane and Laurel simultaneously._

_“Last chance Lee, if you say no, I won’t have any choice but to join in on this.”_

_A few seconds pass before Kara ‘tsk’ and gets up to begin attacking Lena with her fingers, in a good way of course._

_“Fine, fine!” the brunette yells breathlessly.Kara smirks in victory as she calls “Cease fire kiddos!”_

_All three children stop their tickle war immediately and turn their attention to their parents._

_“Since we won this morning’s tickle war and Mama lost, I say we all go make her breakfast to help her feel better? What do you think?” Kara questions._

_Lena answers for her. “Last one to the kitchen is a Daxamite!”_

_“Race you!” Laurels answers before super speeding out of the room._

_“Cheater!” Knox squeals as he super speeds after her._

_“No fair! I can’t super speed!” Kane slowly floats off the bed and after his siblings._

_“No super powers in the house!” Lena and Kara call after their kids, chuckling as they both sat up to rest their backs against the black head board._

_Kara turns to look as Lena and Lena did the same, her gaze falling down to search and grab for Kara’s hand._

_“Goodmorning Lee. I’m glad you’re coming to Argo with us for the weekend,” Kara brings their foreheads together, relishing in the feel of being this close to each._

_“Goodmorning darling,” the brunette leans forward to press small, but meaningful kiss to the blonde’s plump lips. “I guess I’ll have to call Jesse and tell her to forward everything to Sam for the rest of weekend.”_

_Kara gives a reassuring smile. “I know Sam won’t mind it plus, they’ll get to see their other grandmother they see every couple of months and I know you’d like to see what technological advances they’ve made since our last visit a few years ago. We’ll all be together and you and I won’t have to worry about anything here.”_

_“For some reason, I can’t find it in myself to argue with you on any of those points,” Lena playfully rolls her eyes._

_“Lastly, you and I get a whole night to ourselves. I’ve already talked to my mother. She’s taking the kids for the night when we get there. No interruptions. No calls from L-Corp, no late night Supergirl jobs, no reporter duties. Just you and me.”_

_There’s a familiar look in Kara’s eyes that could always send Lena into a frenzy. One that would make her skin hot and breathing shallow, one that sent waves straight to Lena’s core. One that Kara was looking at her right now with pure want and need._

_“Oh really?” the brunette playfully wags her eyebrows. Lena unravels her legs from underneath white sheets and moved to straddle Kara’s legs, her over sized grey MSU shirt falling around her thighs._

_The CEO settles down and bring her hands to caress and play with Kara’s golden hair and face._

_“And just what could we possibly do with a night to ourselves? Most of the time we just fall asleep because we’re so tried,” the brunette feigns cluelessness as her blonde wife just squints her eyes and grins._

_“Hmm, I have the slightest idea. Maybe I could briefly show you what I have planned?” Kara slowly brings her lips to Lena’s, both of their breathing slowing and they get lost in this singular moment._

_“I think you shou-“ Lena is paused before she can even connect their lips by the sound of something breaking and shattering followed by the yell of “Mama!”_

_Kara laughs as Lena sighs as she connects their foreheads together._

_“We’ll have time Kara, don’t worry,” Lena reassures the blonde and kisses her nose as she moves to get up and out of the bed._

_“I know Lee,” the blonde sighs. Lena walks to the double doors and turns around, taking in the sight that would never get old._

_Kara, sitting against the headboard of their messy bed, surrounded with the sunlight that peeled through their drapes and caressed her skin and illuminated everything that made her beautiful. Her messy golden hair that fell onto strong, shoulders, the way her blue eyes were soft and solely focused on Lena as she took in Kara. Lena even welcomed the interruption that came from the kitchen. Three little beings that were made of her and the thing she loved most in this world, Kara._

_Lena was so lost in the daze that she didn’t realize that Kara had walked to stand beside her. The blonde grabbed Lena’s hand. “Come on Mrs. Luthor, I do believe we have three little Kryptonians in a kitchen unsupervised.” Kara gave her the softest smile, her blue eyes twinkling in the sun that filled them up with light._

_Lena would always be in disbelief that this was all hers, and she’d be damned if she’d let anything take it away._

 

* * *

 

Lena slipped on her dark blue suit jacket as she stared at her bed, yearning for the memories of Kara to become real again, yearning for their daughter to be real again. 

The pain of losing them both had never subsided, it never faded. No matter what, it was always there; ghosted caresses that once admired every part of her being to falling asleep with a tiny Kryptonian tucked into her side after having a nightmare. 

No matter what, it would always be there. That feeling in her chest that made her chest hurt and would spread to the rest of her body like wildfire.

The CEO fixed her watch on her wrist as she pulled her phone from the dresser and slipped it into her right jacket pocket.

She walked over to the floor to ceiling length mirror that leaned against the wall and did a once over, starting from her feet and landing on the crow’s feet and bags that erupted from around her eyes.

Lena squinted her eyes. Where the hell are my kids?

“Kelex, am I the only one in the house?” the CEO brushes her jacket off with her hands and she walks to the door, grabbing her purse.

“Yes, Mrs. Luthor,” a robot voice follows Lena as she walks down the hall and toward the stairs, descending them.

“When was the last time motion was sensed leaving?”

“Five twenty-seven A.M.”

Lena’s eyebrows furrow as she lands in the bottom floor and walks towards the kitchen, her heels echoing through the empty house.

“Five twenty-seven this morning! Kelex call Kane.”

“Yes, Mrs. Luthor,” the robotic voice ends with the soft sound of a phone ringing.

Lena walks to the kitchen and towards an smart tablet that lays on a stand at an angle and sets her purse on the kitchen floor.She leans against the counter as she watches the tablet, his caller ID is a picture of him maybe about two years ago with less scruff on his face and his hair was cut shorter, much like how Clarke used to look. Thirty seconds pass and Lena become even more annoyed when she has to dial Knox. Leave it up to both of her sons to never answer their phone when they were being looked for.

Lena squints her eyes as a long beep sounds for Lena to leave a message in the voicemail.

“Knox, it’s Mom. Call me back as soon as possible. Just checking in on you and if you see your brother, tell him to call me back as well.” Lena presses the end button on the tablet, and exiting out of the call app. Before she pulls away, a notification slides down from the upper edges that catches her attention. Lena’s face scrunches up in pure anger as she taps on the notification. It’s a Catco article reporting on black holes located around the city?

Lena physically blanches and her heart drops and she skims the article, her heart quickening over every word. It completely stops when she gets to the name ‘Superman’ and ‘Guardian’ and “two other unidentified associates flew into the black hole around 5 o’clock this morning and have yet to return.”

Lena looks at her watch. 9:38 A.M.

“Shit,” the brunette wastes no time in dropping the tablet, grabbing her purse, and heading towards the garage and hurriedly getting into her all black, newly designed luxury L-Corp coup sport car.

Lena steps down and into the car, fastening her seat belt as she speaks the word “Luthor.” The car jumps to life as its electric engine hums and vibrates the car.

“Welcome Mrs. Luthor, will you be driving yourself today?” an eloquent young woman’s voice rings from the large touchpad to Lena’s right.

“Yes,” Lena mutters. “Increase electronic power outrush to twelve.”

“Yes Mrs. Luthor, maybe I be of anymore assistance?” The car immediately begins to hum louder.

“Yes, call Brainy and that’s all for now.”

“Yes Mrs. Luthor, enjoy your ride!” The voice ends with the immediate ringing of a phone once again. Lena presses her foot heavily on the pedal and the car gives a slight hesitation before zooming off and down the winding driveway.With every ring, Lena becomes more angrier and angrier. How could her sons possibly rush head first into a black holes? And out of everything, why on this day? Then James and probably Alex went with them and allowed this?

“ _I had estimated you would call sooner_ ,” Brainy’s voice is unsure and questionable but mostly nervous as it rings through the speakers of the car.

“Tell me this, why in the hell was I not alerted by anyone in this family what was going on?” Lena doesn’t even try to conceal her anger as her voice gets deeper and louder with every word.

“ _To be fair, Kane and Knox both decided that it would not be smart to alert you about their departure into the black hole. I was only told to alert you of their arrival, or be prepared to face your anger if you have found out before they arrived back.”_

“It would not be smart to alert me? Oh, that’s rich,” Lena makes a hard right turn and she turns onto an open road. “Where are my sons? Do you have a location on them? Are their comms still on because if they are, they’ll only get a mere fraction of what they’re going to get when they get back here.”

_“Well, Lena. We partially lost contact with them a few minutes after they entered the anomaly. I have yet to re-establish any strong communication or pinpoint their exact location. Although, in the last hour, I keep getting temporary pinpoints on where they are in the anomaly. It moves every few minutes.”_

“You lost contact with them? How in the hell did that happen? If Alex would have agreed years ago to use the tech that I offered the DEO we’d be able to talk to them right now!”

Brainy sighs on the other end of the phone. “ _Little boxes Comrade, little boxes.”_

Lena takes a deep breath and pinches the edge of her nose. “If they’re location keep signaling your scanners-“

“ _It means they’re near enough the rim of the anomaly on the inside but something is keeping them otherwise, distracted_ ,” the intellect interrupts Lena. 

“By distracted, something is going on.” Lena speeds through traffic on the interstate, not heeding speed limit signs and trying to avoid looking at the black holes that looked over National City to her right that would only threaten to increase her stress and panic.

_“I am trying my best Lena. There hasn’t been anyone here in years that couldn’t crack anything I couldn’t . I will find a way to locate them.”_

The CEO sighed deeply, her chest sinking as she considered that Brainy would never try anything less than his hardest. 

“It’s just today of all days they had to... I don’t know what to do... I-I can’t lose them. Not today. Especially not today, I don’t-I just... I can’t. I just can’t.”

“ _We will find them Lena. Or they’ll come back before we can find them. My calculations are very high on that we will find them. You won’t lose them Lena. I-_ “ Brainy is cut off as a loud beeping sound rings through the phone, annoyingly making Lena’s headache pound even harder.

“Brainy, what’s going on?” the question is met with a deaf silence that strikes terror through Lena’s very being.

“ _It seems as if... H-how is this at all possible?”_ Brainy’s voice rang through the car, filled with confusion, sadness, and happiness simultaneously. The sounds in the background that were once quiet were now full of yelling, unrecognizable voices.

“Clear the way!” breaks through the line, pushing Lena eyebrows up into her forehead, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the steering wheel. “Brainy, what the hell is going?”

 _“I.. It seems that.. For once, I do not understand..._ ” the intellect behind to mutter meaningless dribble as Lena growls. 

“Brainy! Tell me what is going on right now or so help me!”

The intellect sighs on the other side of the phone.  “ _Lena, it would be best for you to head to the DEO once you’ve reached the city. I will answer your questions when you arrive_ ,” with that, three beeps sound the end of the conversation. 

There had been only several times when Lena felt absolute dread. Where her heart dropped deep into the depths of her body and made her lose her breath, and this was one of those times. 

 

* * *

 

After trying and failing for twenty minutes to send Brainy a message through the faulty DEO communication systems, James decided to he’d hurry back into the secret laboratory. As James stepped through the door, he heard Lena’s soft cries. He’d know them anywhere. Hell, he’d been there for most of them on his earth.

“I just-I can’t. She’s everywhere it seems. What doesn’t help in anyway is her other version.The way she smells, her smile, her eyes. Everything.” There’s rumbling in the background and the camera partially vibrates. Lena looks around nervously, taking deep breaths.

Guardian walks in to see a red-faced Lena that is more filled out and older than usual. Her cheeks and chin aren’t as chiseled and she’s aged tremendously since her last videos. She has a hand to her mouth and one that holds her stomach, as if she could collapse right then and there. 

He looks to Alex and the twins, noticing Kane’s watery eyes and Alex’s and Knox’s gaping holes that were once tightly closed lips.

 _“I don’t know if I can do this by myself. Everything is falling apart. My son has been recklessly trying to get himself killed fighting this war after Kara’s death. The DEO has fallen, Alex, J’onn, Brainy, Nia, and my Kara are all dead, and National City is falling by the second as we speak.”_ Tears leak out from Lena’s face as if they were a river following a current.

_“For once in my life, I am at a complete standstill. I don’t know how to beat Lex or his Kryptonian, the new regime on this earth and protect Kara. Was it all for nothing? These last few years, were they all for nothing? The fighting, the tears, the blood, the lives that went into everything to give a semblance of hope that maybe we could win?” Lena drags a sleeve over her face and sniffles. She stares as the ground as she takes a breath and regathers her thoughts._

_“I just-I hate the circumstances that she has to fight under. This isn’t even her earth and yet, she’s fighting for it. If anything, she’s proven that she’s our last chance, as much as she humbly denies it, she’s it. She and her daughter’s arrival all those years ago helped turn the tables on the war for this planet. But it troubles me, the people that she’s fighting against it for. My brother, her... I-I couldn’t do it. There is no way that I could.”_

Lena brings both hands to hug her middle and looks down with a wary expression.

_“I should have expected Lex would turn on Darkseid and his army. More importantly, I should have protected Laurel from his manipulations and Krptonite. After Lex took her, I tried everything. We tried everything. But it was if she was truly gone. Like she had sunk into whatever madness Lex had but with a twisted perversion of the truth. I should have worked harder, I could have done more. If I had, Kara wouldn’t have to..._

_“I-I couldn’t possibly fight my own child. I could never hurt him. I could never do what she’s doing. Even if there was no other way left and it meant the destruction of this earth. But that’s who she is, even if it’s another Kara from another earth, she’ll fight for the people on this planet and the planet itself, even if she has to go against the core of her being. Even if she has to fight her own daughter and do what is necessary.”_

There’s a rumbling in the background and Lena turns her attention to the door with a confused expression. Her eyes widen in panic and she looks back to the camera.

 _“Kara, if you ever find these, I’m sorry. I’m sorry we couldn’t save your daughter. Everything that you have went through since your arrival on this earth, is all my fault. I am truly sorry I didn’t get you both home before everything happened.”_ Lena walks to the camera and as she’s clicking it off, she pauses at the sound of the metal door to her laboratory is ripped and it being crumbled to the ground.

“ _Hiding now are we? Didn’t think you’d be this much of a coward_ ,” a young woman’s voice rings into the room, along with sounds of multiple footsteps walking quickly into the room.

Lena’s expression changed to that of complete anger as once emerald eyes turned grey and glared daggers at the unknown woman. 

_“You became the coward when you chose power over your family and started doing my brother’s bidding. You’re just a pawn in his game, you have been ever since you and your mother arrived here. How long will it take you to realize that?”_

_“You’re only a pawn if you don’t that you’re being used_ ,” the voice scoffs in dark humor. “At this point I could give a damn, as long as I get what I want. But enough of all this chit chat. Grab her,” the young woman’s voice is followed by Lena’s armsbeing taken my two pairs of black gloves and being pulled away from the camera.

“ _You know she will come for me. I would be ready,_ ” the CEO bites back from some unseen place behind the camera.

“ _If anything, you should have warned her to be ready. There will be no mercy this time, regardless of the fact that she is my mother. I’ll make sure of it.”_


End file.
